Elevator-gate.



J. v. KRANEBIEL- ELEVATOR GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. l4, I9I4.

1,16,89l. Patented Jan. 18, 1916. '7 EETS-SHEET I. 6

20 i 2 %7/q g7 28 J. V. KRANEBIEL.

ELEVATOR GATE,v

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1914.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wuzwtoz JOHN V. KRANEBIEL, WILLIAMSV-ILLE, NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 812,039.

' To all whom it may concern:

residing at W'illiamsville, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Elevator-Gates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for elevators and more particularly to safety doors and safety locking means controlled thereby.

The object of the invention is to provide a collapsible door which may be easily folded into a small space and is so constructed as to obviate the liability of catching and injuring a persons fingers in fold- 1n 1 further object of the invention is to provide simple means adapted to be operated by an elevator door for locking the controller of the elevator when the door is open and for locking the door in closed position when the controller is operated to start the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain other new and useful features in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of an elevator shaft or well and through an elevator cage or car therein; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the cage door and locking mechanism therefor shown partly in section; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the door in open or collapsed position with parts broken away to show the construction: Fig. 4: is a detail view of a portion of the locking mechanism illustrating the manner in which the door is locked thereby; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing a horizontal section through the door substantially on the line X-X of Fig. 3'; Fig. 6 is a similar detail showing the controller drum in vertical section and a portion of the door in edge elevation; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail showing a cross section of a portion of the cage door and illustrating the manner in which it is engaged with a suitable locking device on a shaft door; and Fig. 8 is a sectional detail showing the manner of supporting and guiding the doors.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, A, A, indicate the guides usually provided on the side walls of the elevator shaft for guiding the elevator cage B which is moved upward and downward therein past the floor or floors C by means of cables D running to the top of the shaft and actuated in any suitable manner (not shown). The movements of the elevator cage B may be controlled by any suitable device located in the cage, a controller of an old and well known construction being shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustration, such a controller being employed upon elevators operated by electric power, the'electrical controlling devices of which controller are inclosed within a casing E and actuated by means of a shaft F projecting from the axis of the drum. It will be understood that other forms of controllers for hydraulic and other engines as well as electrical power, are contemplated as coming within the scope of this invention, it merely being necessary to make obvious changes in parts of the locking mechanism embodying thi in en- I tion in order to adapt the same for se upon other forms of controllers.

Instead of providing the controller shaft F' with the usual handle for turning it, this handle is replaced by a suitable cylindrical drum 1 which is of greater diameter than the diameter of the casing E, thus leaving an annular space between the casing and the circular wall of the drum. M hand grip 9. is provided on the drum which thus serves the purpose of a crank for turning the shaft F. A bar 3 is pivotally attached at 4 to the door 5 of the elevator cage near the lower end thereof and adjacent to its forward edge, and the opposite end of this bar is provided with a roll 6 extending outwardly from one side thereof and a guide roll 7 at the opposite side to engage a suitable guideway 8 provided upon the wall of the elevator cage adjacent to the controller E. A link 9 is also pivotally attached to the end of the bar 3 whiclf carries the rolls and this link has a guide roll 10 on its upper end movable along the guide-way 8. The circular wall of the drum 1 surrounding the controller E is provided with a notch or slot 1lextending inward from the free edge of the wall, through which slot the roll 6 may enter the annular space between the annular wall of the drum and the side of the casing E. The length of the bar 3 is such that when the door 5 is fully closed, the roll 7 will be moved downward in its uide 8 to near the lower end thereof and the roll 6 will extend into the annular space between the drum and easing. A pin may be substituted for the roll 6 if found desirable and when the door is fully closed with this roll or pin within the drum, said drum may be turned by means of its handle 2 to turn the shaft F and start the lifting engine for moving the elevator car or cage. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, as soon as the drum is thus turned in either direction. the slot 11 therein will be moved out of alinement with the pin or roll (Sand said roll will thus be locked between the annular wall of the drum and the side of the controller casing, holding the bar 3 in lowered position with the door closed. The door is thus securely locked against being opened until the drum is again turned to bring its notch 11 into alinement with the roll 6, in which position the controller is arranged to shut off the power;

Mounted upon the casing E is a pivoted latch or dog 12 and in the drum 1 is a notch 13 adapted to receive the end of the dog which is yieldingly turned by a spring 14 toward the notch. This notch is so positioned in the drum relative to the slot 11 that when the drum is turned, bringing the slot into alinement with the M116, the dog will 1 be opposite the slot and in a position to engage the notch and lock the drum against turning. Therefore when the door is closed and the roll passes through the slot into the drum said roll will come intocontact with a laterally extending arm or lug 15 (see Fig.

6) on the dog and turn the same against the action of its spring out of engagement with the notch, th'us releasing the drum. By providing the lug 15 to be engaged by the roll, the dog and notch may beplaced beyond the end of the roll so that the inwardly extending lugs which form the sides of the notch will not come in contact with the roll when the drum is turned.

When the drum 1 is turned bringing the slot 11 into alinement with the path of the roll (3 and shutting off the power, the door may be opened. The opening of the door will raise the roll 6 out of the drum through the slot 11 and out of contact with the dog 12 which will at once be turned by its spring into engagement with the notch 13 in the drum. The drum is thus locked against turning, preventing the power from being turned on to move the elevator cage, immediately upon any opening movement of the door as the first movement of the door raises the roll out of engagement with the dog and permits the dog to engage its notch and lock the drum before the roll has passed through the slot. In closing the door, the roll does not enter the slot and depress the dog until the door is fully closed, and thus the controller is always looked against being actuated whenever the door is in a position other than fully closed, and the door is always looked in closed position as soon as the drum is turned to apply the power and start the elevator.

At each landing C is the usual shaft door 16 which is provided with a locking bolt 17 actuated by means of a bell crank lever 18 having a roller 19 on its upwardly extending free arm with the roller projecting laterally from said arm. Upon the door 5 carried by the elevator cage, are outwardly extending lugs 20 which are spaced apart to receive between them the projecting end of the roll 19. These lugs are so positioned upon the door 5 that when the cage is opposite the landing with the floor of the cage substantially in the plane of the floor of the landing, said roll 19 will be between the lugs. Upon the opening of the cage door 5 by the operator, one of the lugs will be brought into engagement with the roll on the bell crank lever 18 and will actuate said lever to raise the bolt 17 and unlock the shaft .door. Further movement of the cage door will draw the shaft door open and permit the occupants of the cage to pass out or other persons to pass in through the door openings, the controller E being looked as previously described during the time the doors are open. The shaft door being operated by the cage door, it will be impossible for the operator to leave one of the shaft doors open as the car cannot leave the landing until the cage door is fully closed to release the controller, and the closing of the cage door closes and locks the shaft door.

Where the arrangement of door openings to the shaft and cage are such that a sliding door cannot be used, it is necessary to provide a collapsible door which will readily close into a small space and such a door is herein shown comprising a series of fiat vertical bars 21 which are connected by very thin fiat steel strips 22, a pair of these spring strips being interposed between adjacent bars with the ends of each pair of springs riveted together and each spring riveted intermediate its ends only to the adjacent bar 21. The springs and bars are preferably of equal width and are set with their width extending transversely of the door to give the necessary lateral strength. The upper ends of the springs and bars are guided within a suitable channelbar 23 and their lower ends extend into a suitable guide slot 24 adjacent to the threshold of the door opening. The bar which forms the rear edge of the door is secured in any suitable manner to the door frame 24 and if found desirable this bar 25 may be formed L-shape in cross section to provide an outer flange 26 behind which the bars and spring strips will close when the door is collapsed. The forward edge of the door is also preferably formed of an L-shaped bar 27 with its flange 28 extending along the inner side of the door, and if found desirable, a suitable strip 29 may be secured within the angle of this bar to form the forward edge of the door.

To carry the door when in extended position, a bracket 30 is secured to the flange 28 of the bar 27 and this bracket is provided with a flanged roller 31 to engage a suitable track 32 positioned above the doorway. The whole weight of'the forward end of the door is thus carried by the roller and the door is prevented from sagging while guided across the door opening by the track and the guide channel 23.

The spring strips 22 being very thin and flexible and fastened to the several bars 21 intermediate their ends only, permit of the ready collapsing of the door or the movement ot the several bars toward each other, and as these bars are also of comparative thinness, the whole number of bars and spring strips, when closed into contact with each other, will take up but a very small space and will all be inclosed by the flanges 26 and 28 of the endbars 25 and 27 Any suitable number of bars and spring strips may be used to form the door, and while these members will yield very readily in the direction of the width of the door, yet the desired lateral strength is secured by the setting of the bars and strips edgewise. By reason of the readiness with which the members yield in the direction of the width of the door, should a person catch his hand or fingers between the bars and springs during the collapsing of the door, no injury would result and this construction also provides a door of minimum weight which may be closed and opened with little effort on the part of the operator.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. The combination with an elevator door and an elevator controller, of means connected to the door and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the controller by the opening and closing of the door, and means for engaging the controller to prevent the operation thereof, said last named means being operated to release the controller by the movement of the first named means into engagement with the controller.

2. The combination with an elevator door and an elevator controller, of means for preventing the opening of the door adapted to be held in operative position by the controller when said controller is actuated, means for locking the controller against actuation adapted to be actuated to unlock the controller when the means for preventing the operation of the door is moved by the closing of the door into position to be held by the controller.

ber which is connected to the door.

4:. The combination with an elevator car, ofa controller on the car, a collapsible door movable toward and from the controller, a

looking bar for the door pivotally connected to the forward edge thereof, a member 011 the rear end of the bar for engaging the controller, means on the controller for engaging said member when the controller is actuated to prevent the movement of the bar and hold the door in closed position, and meansfor locking the controller adapted to be unlocked by the movement of the member on the bar into engagement with the controller.

5. The combination with an elevator car, of an elevator controller upon the car, a sliding door movable toward and from the controller, a locking bar pivotally attached at one end to the door and having an upward and downward movement at its rear end toward and from the controller, a member carried by the controller having an opening therein, a member on the bar to enter said opening and to be engaged by said member having the opening when the controller is actuated, and a locking member for the controller adapted to be unlocked by the movement of the bar toward the controller and the entrance of the member thereon through the opening in the member carried by the controller.

6. The combination with an elevator car, of a controller on the car pivotally supported thereon, an elevator door, a member carried by the door and movable therewith, a member carried by the controller adapted to engage and hold the member on the door by an actuation of the controller when the member on the door has been moved by the closing of the door, and a dog to prevent the actuation of the controller adapted to be engaged and actuated by the member on v the door when the door is moved to closed position.

7 The combination with an elevator car, of a door on the car, an elevator controller adjacent to the rear edge of the door, a guide extending towardthe controller, a

7 said channel.

bar pivotally attached to the door, a roller on the bar to engage the guide, a projecting member on the bar, a member carried by the controller forming a channel to receive the projecting member on the bar and a locking member for the controller Within 8. The combination with an elevator car,

of an elevator door on the car, a pivotally 10 supported controller on the car adjacent to the rear edge of the door, a locking bar '7 pivotally attached to the door near the forcontroller on thecar, a sliding door movable toward and from the controller, a looking I barp'ivotally connected to the door, a guide adjacent to the controller for one end of the bar, a stud on the bar projecting laterally therefrom, a member on the controller having an opening to receive the stud and forming an annular channel about the controller, and a dog for locking the controller against operation, said dog being located Within said channel in the path of the stud in entering said channel.

10. The combination with an elevator car and an elevator shaft door, of a door on the car, a controller for the car, a locking member for the door on the car adapted to be held by the controller to prevent the opening of the door, locking means for the controller actuated by the locking member for the door, and locking means for the shaft door adapted to be engaged and actuated by the car door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN V. KRANEBIEL.

"Witnesses:

ANNA M. Donn, LEWIS E. FLANnERs 

